Polgar Judit (HUN) - Berkes Ferenc (HUN) Budapest (Hungary) 2003 C11

[#]Judit Polgar beat her younger compatriot effectively. 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.¤c3 ¤f6 4.¥g5 dxe4 5.¤xe4 ¥e7 6.¥xf6 ¥xf6 7.¤f3 O-O 8.£d2 ¤d7 9.O-O-O ¥e7 10.¥d3 b6 11.¤eg5 h6 12.¥h7!

[Previously White implemented the standard continuation 12.h4]

12...¢h8 13.¥e4 hxg5!? Berkes chooses a rather principled continuation.

[After 13...¦b8 14.h4 , White obtains a horrible attack.]

14.g4!! Fantastic idea! Now the black a8-rook is hanging and Black is helpless against the opening the h-file. The black g5-pawn hampers his own actions being fixed after White's marvellous move.

[In the case of: 14.¥xa8? g4 , the white knight cannot retreat due to ¥g5 and Black obtains the second minor piece for the rook.]

14...¦b8 15.h4 g6

[Black cannot survive after: 15...¢g8 16.hxg5;

as well as after: 15...gxh4 16.g5 ¢g8 17.£f4 , with White's mating attack, for example: 17...f5 18.£xh4 fxe4 19.£h7 ¢f7 20.£h5 g6 21.£h7 ¢e8 22.£xg6 ¦f7 23.¦h7]

16.hxg5 ¢g7 17.£f4 ¥b7

[Here also failing is: 17...¥d6 18.¤e5;

as well as: 17...¦h8 18.¦xh8 £xh8 19.¤e5 , with White's decisive attack in both cases.]

18.¦h7! A standarâ final combination - White sacrifices the rook winning a tempo. 18...¢xh7 19.£h2 ¢g8 20.¦h1 ¥xg5 21.¤xg5 £xg5 22.f4 £xf4 The only move. 23.£xf4 ¥xe4 24.£xe4 Further material losses are inevitable for Black due toshaky position of his king. Black resigned. Annotated by IM N. VLASSOV [1:0]